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Overview

Readers today are still fascinated by “Nat,” an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor’s world—Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn’t promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by “log, lead, and lookout.” Nat’s long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the “Sailors’ Bible”), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.

Product Details

About the Author

Jean Lee Latham was born in 1902 in Buckhannon, West Virginia. At an early age, she became a prolific writer, penning works of fiction and nonfiction, as well as theater scripts. Ever since its debut, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch has acquired an intrigued group of sea-loving fans.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

At one time, I had planned to read all the Newbery Medal books, but I never finished. This one, however, is by an author from Buckhannon, WV, so I wanted to make sure I did at least read it. It's great! The novel tells the a fictionalized story of the life of Nathanial Bowditch, a famous early American who was a self-taught astronomer and navigator. I didn't know much about him before I read the book, but it motivated me to learn a little bit more. The story is good from an inspirational point of view too, because Nat never gave up, despite being indentured and suffering numerous setbacks. If there is a young person interested in history, this is a good book to send their way.

ABVR on LibraryThing

3 months ago

Captivating based-on-fact tale of young Nat Bowditch, who grows up in a seafaring family in Salem, MA just after the Revolution and becomes world-famous as a ship's navigator and practical mathematician. One of the most important books of my youth . . . a revelation for a kid who, like Nat, didn't quite "fit in" because he loved books and science and learning. I revelled in the fact that Nat triumphs *because* he's book-smart.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Read this book for Battle of the Books in 6th grade and 27 years later it still captivates my attention.

DavidHT11

More than 1 year ago

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham is a narrative primarily about a young boy named Nathaniel Bowditch. Nathaniel grew up in the town of Salem and has an exceptional knack for math. As a child he was indentured to Ropes and Hodges Ship Chandlery for nine years where he becomes an excellent book keeper. He learns heaps of new things duryin his indenture including: learning to speak French and Latin, keeping detailed notebooks on subjects such as astronomy, and even writing his own almanac. He desires to go to Harvard but when his indenture is finally over he becomes a member of a ship and travels all over the world. On this ship he becomes the commander of a watch on deck and in his spare time studies and teaches the crew members useful math tricks. The book ends with Nat's fifth voyage which carries him into his early thirties.
This book is an extreely easy read. The characters are relatively simple and the plot easy to follow. It is written in a fairly large font and frequently has pictures that take up a half to two full pages. My favorite character from the book is a little girl named Elizabeth who sheds some light, figuratively speaking, on Nathaniel Bowditch which changes the way he handles situations with other people for the rest of his life. I would reccommend this book to anybody who desires a quick, easy, and pleasurable read.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Nathaniel Bowditch has moved to Salem, Massachusetts, finished his indenture, and is now going out to sea. What will he do there? What will he do with his time home? He will do many things in his adventure. The book goes into great detail about what happens; it also gives an excellent description about the characters and places. These are some of the reasons I like this book and think it is excellent. Don't forget to read it!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Guest

More than 1 year ago

I loved this book. My brother read this book a few years back then I had to read it for school, I loved it. I read it in a week. it was a fast even though I am the slowest reader. for you slow readers, this book is very quick.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

I read this book as part of my homeschool program. I really enjoyed it and found myself reading it in every spare minute I had. I do not greatly enjoy history, but this is one of the best books I've ever read. Fantastic Book!

Guest

More than 1 year ago

I recently purchased this book, and it has become one of my immediate favorites! This book tells the truly wonderous story of Nathaniel Bowditch, a young man who, despite being physically small all his life, grows up to be one of the greatest navigators of his time! While reading this book, you will learn many extraordinary things about Bowditch's life, such as how he discovered a new way to take lunars (A procedure used to find the position of a ship), or how he found eight thousand mistakes in a navigation book that men's lives depended on. If you want a thrilling, yet factual, reading experience, then this is the book for you!

Guest

More than 1 year ago

Its okay, I mean it gets so tiresom. Nathanial Bowditch and his navigation skills, not a very 'exciting' book. You could read better.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

This book captured my imagination when I was in elementary school so much so I wrote a book report on it three years in a row. Since then I have read it dozens of times and still enjoy it.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

It was a very confusing book and was kind of snoozy

Guest

More than 1 year ago

My librarian recommended this book to me because she knows I am a bookworm. It was amazing. I love to get caught up in books, and I could barely put this one down!!!

Guest

More than 1 year ago

I Liked this book so much I read it 5 Times! And I still want to read it again!

Guest

More than 1 year ago

A great book about a smart boy who does great thing

Guest

More than 1 year ago

It is an amazing book because I do not like reading books, but this book I wanted to read in my spare time and all the other books seemed boring. Nat Bowditch was a mathematician and a sailor. It is sad that most of his family died. He went on many ships and lasted through many storms.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

I really liked reading Carry on Mr. Bowditch. It taught me some ways of navigation, that math problems only have one answer, and some things that can happen on a sea voyage. I liked reading this book because it had adventure,and scary parts. I think others would like this book because I liked it and I don't even like reading.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

I read this book for a school subject in the Total Language Plus program. My brother , my Dad, and I nicknamed it COMB, using the initials. COMB is a book that includes most of the details of Nat Bowditch's life. I was reluctant of reading this true story at first because I didn't like long books, but then I caught on because of the action and timeline . We liked this book because of the action and cool , neatly described characters . I think that people should read this good book that teaches lots of different subjects like math, navagating, and history. If you love pirate stories or non-violent action, this is the book for you!

Guest

More than 1 year ago

Carry on, Mr. Bowditch seemed so much like a story and you felt like you were there. It didn't seem like a biography at all. I think it is a book everyone should read. This guy is so amazing, he's a genius, and very creative. I loved it. It's a must for all you people who love the seas, early American history, science, or just like to read.

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